Week 10 Reading: American Indian Fairy Tales, Part A
Iagoo, the Story Teller
There was nobody ever as wise as old Iagoo for he knew the secrets of the woods and the fields since he lived outside for most of his life. He knew the fairy tales and wonder stories told by his grandfather from when he was a young boy. Iagoo was a favorite amongst the children for he knew where to find colorful shell necklaces for the girls and how to weave baskets from grass and how to make bows and arrows for the boys. The children loved his stories and winter was the perfect time to do storytelling. The wind would blow and sparks would jump up from the fire. One little girl came close to his and asked if he could hurt us and he told her to have no fear and to be brave.
Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind
A long time ago when only a few people lived on the earth, there was a tribe of fisherman in the North. The King of this Land of Ice was a fierce man called Ka-bib-on-okka by the Indians meaning the North Wind. The king of the land was not satisfied for all the rivers had frozen over with snow and ice. Although he had much power, he was no match for She-won-dasee, the South Wind, whose home was full of summer flowers, melons, and forests clothed in green. As the summer days grew shorter in the North, She-won-dasee would go to the top of the hill and smoke his big pipe. The smoke from his pipe made the land peaceful. The fisherman knew it was the right time to fish when the South Wind went to sleep, but the fierce North Wind would come up and cover the water with ice. The North Wind laughed at them as the fisherman began to challenge him. The fisherman then left sadly and they never hoped to see him again.
Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind (cont.)
After the fisherman left, the South Wind made sure he had plenty of bark and twigs to make a blazing fire so it would melt all the ice. He sang a song as he did this. The North Wind saw what was happening and decided he was going to put his fire out. That night, the South Wind had been cooking a fish over coals and warmed himself by the toasting fire. He was feeling so content he began to sing again and didn't even notice the snow coming in, arriving thick and in huge drifts. The North Wind jeered at him and told the other wind to come down the smoke vent. The South Wind made his way inside and everything seemed to be so hot. The North Wind began to melt as the fire roared from the fireplace. The fire weakened him. The two began to quarrel and finally the South Wind was able to conquer the North Wind. As the sun rose, they stopped fighting and they sped away.
The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds
Iagoo was seating in the corner looking into the fire one evening. The children knew they shouldn't interrupt him and on that particular evening, they waited patiently for him to talk, but he sat there like stone. Finally little Morning Glory asked him a question she had never asked before. She asked why the mountains were always there. He said he asked himself that question often. He began to look into the fire again and said the mountains have been here since the beginning of time and asked if he could tell the story of the Big Rock and how it took a little boy and girl among the clouds. The big magical rock was in the days when animals and men lived together on friendly terms. The valley was a lovely place to live and there was nothing to fear, for the children would wander and enjoy nature as they pleased. As the wild animals lived their life, they lived it in peace. The children loved all the animals, especially the antelope. Another thing that made the children happy was the river to swim in.
The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds (cont.)
One day in the mid summer, the children played in the pool until they wanted a dry place to get warm and rest. They saw a big, flat rock and they decided to climb it. They laid down to rest on the rock and soon enough, they were fast asleep. Suddenly, the rock began to rise and grow and it rose higher than the trees. Meanwhile, their father and mother were looking for them, but there was no trace of them/ They went asking around to all the animals, until at last they came to the coyote. The coyote sniffed around the pool and claimed they have been on the rock. They didn't know how to get them down. All the animals practiced their jumping skills, but nobody was tall enough, Suddenly a voice cried out and it was a measuring worm who spoke up offering to help. The other animals thought the worm was a joke but gave him a try anyway. The measuring worm climbed all the way to the top of the rock and guided the children down to safety.
The Child of the Evening Star
Once upon a time, there was a hunter who had ten beautiful daughters. Manu suitors came to court them, handsome young men who rode horses. They also brought presents to win the father's favor. One by one the daughters were wooed and married and they moved into homes to begin a village. The youngest daughter Oweenee was gentle and beautiful unlike her sisters. She loved wandering in the forest and she was very hard to please. Her father was puzzled why she never wanted to marry and she claimed it wasn't the looks of man she was looking for, but a man's heart. Strangely after, an Indian named Osseo was poor and ugly and moved into their village. She married him and she was very happy and content. The man had a heart of gold and passion of a poet. They were in love!
The Child of the Evening Star (cont.)
Oweenee didn't suspect it, but Osseo was really a beautiful youth who had an evil spell cast on him/ He was the son of the King of the Evening Star. The star shown so bright, children could reach out and touch it. Osseo had really just descended from the star. When the time came for a great feast, the nine proud sisters and their husbands walked ahead of Oweenee and Osseo. The Evening Star was glowing in the sky and Osseo reached out to touch it. The sisters mocked him and taunted him to climb over the big log. Osseo was unable to climb over it, but he noticed something inside the trunk. He shouted through the forest and he appeared as a transformed man, a beautiful youth. The evil spell had been lifted from him. Oweenee was perfectly content and they vowed to love each other forever.
The Child of the Evening Star (cont. again)
When the proud sisters saw what had happen, they became envious and in their eyes was the light of the Evening Star. The feats was spread and made merry and Osseo would speak comfort to Oweenee. As darkness came, a magical music came from the forest and they discovered it was the Evening Star. The voice told Osseo it was time to leave the earth and come with him into the heavens. To do this, he left a dish in front of Osseo to eat. Osseo tasted the food and the tent began to tremble. The nine sisters and their husbands turned into birds. Osseo sat gazing at Oweenee and he saw her beauty restored. The two caught all the birds and put them in a great silver cage and Osseo's father appeared in a flowing robe. He welcomed them to the sky and showed them where a magician named Wabeno lived. The reason for the birds in the cage was because they mocked Osseo, but he claimed he wouldn't harm them.
The Child of the Evening Star (end)
The two thus lived in the kingdom and as the years passed, the magician grew paler and weaker. Meanwhile, a little son had come to make their happiness more perfect. The little boy loved living close to the stars and the moon, but sometimes he would get lonely and wondered what Earth was like. He thought the Earth would be this pretty place with so many people living on it with an abundance of animals too. He finally found the birds in the cage and one day he got the idea to open the cage so they could fly back to Earth. He let all the birds out and he suddenly felt scared and sorry. He called for the birds to come back, but they wouldn't. He believed the only way to solve this problem was to shoot them. When he did, the bird transformed back into a beautiful woman. No blood was ever allowed to be shed upon the Evening Star, so when the bird/woman bled, he sunk slowly downward, closer to Earth. Everyone returned to earth and all the enchanted birds came fluttering through the air. They were little dwarfs, happy little people. The fisherman saw them on that summer night, on the sandy beach of the Great Lake.
Bibliography:
Title: American Indian Fairy Tales
Author: Henry Schoolcraft
Comments
Post a Comment